TWO STOURPORT families, who are living in fear of a wasps' nest outside their homes, are outraged it could take up to 10 days for it to be removed.

Stephen Forshew, who lives with his partner, Laura Dixon and two children, one-year-old Chloe and three-month-old Candice, said he was amazed to hear that Wyre Forest District Council officers would deal with the problem within 10 working days.

The 40-year-old, of Broomy Close, was concerned because the nest is outside the windows of his daughters' bedroom.

He added: "I thought with small children involved it would be seen as more urgent. "

Mr Forshew said he could not afford to pay a private firm to remove the nest, which was discovered by a workman on Monday last week, and had tried to do it himself but stopped when he felt it was "too risky" to continue.

He contacted the council the same day and said he was told that once he had shown proof of his council tax benefit, it would be dealt with and, until then, to keep the windows on the front of his house closed.

The nest also affects Mr Forshew's next door neighbours, Esme Dyke and Scott Sabin, who also have two young children, Louis and Joshua Wheatley, both aged two.

Miss Dyke said she had also been advised to close the windows but was forced to keep them open to help keep Joshua, who suffers badly from dehydration in hot weather, cool and was worried her children could be stung.

A council spokeswoman said: "The reason for 10 days is down to the volume of work in the pest control department, as priority is given to vermin, such as rats."

Keith Burgess, the council's operational services manager, said: "Wasps are nest building at the moment and they don't present a particular problem to individuals if left alone.

"If a wasp nest is near a window, we would suggest that it remains closed until the nest is removed. The council does charge for the removal of wasp nests - currently £40. However, in special circumstances, to those people receiving 100 per cent council tax benefit, this service is free."

Meanwhile a Habberley Valley man has spoken of his surprise that Wyre Forest District Council was unwilling to help rid his home of a hornets' nest.

Ged Scott said he spoke to the authority's pest control department about a nest that was in his roof and was told hornets were a protected species and it would be unable to deal with the problem.

The 45-year-old said he was worried about his three children - Sam, 11, Harry, 8, and three-year-old George, being stung.

Mr Scott, who contacted a private firm to get rid of the nest on Tuesday, said: "A wasp sting will not kill anyone - it's just a nasty experience but hornets are a lot worse, as they can be poisonous."

A spokeswoman for the council said hornets were not protected but the council advised that they were left alone unless they were in a public place.